What is violence against girls and women? A UK perspective With help from AVA, one of Girlguiding’s Girls in Action partners

In one week in the UK… 30,000 women will experience domestic violence and two of them will be murdered A further 15,000 will be sexually assaulted A further 2,000 will be raped Around 75 will be trafficked into the UK Around 56 will be forced into a marriage Still more will experience sexual harassment

What is violence against girls and women? Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Violence can be… Physical eg Hitting, pushing, poking, punching, kicking, unwanted touching Emotional eg Calling you names or making you feel bad about yourself, monitoring where you go and what you do Financial eg Not allowing you to work or earn money, taking your money, making you tell them exactly how you spend your money Sexual eg Pressuring you to do something sexual that you don’t want to, forcing you to terminate a pregnancy, controlling your use of contraception

Types of violence Domestic /dating violence Sexual violence Sexual exploitation Harassment Pornography Stalking Trafficking/forced prostitution Female genital mutilation (FGM) Forced marriage So called ‘honour crimes’ Sexting

Did you know? In the UK…. 40 per cent of young people are in violent relationships 70 per cent of teenage mothers are in violent relationships 1 in 3 girls will be sexually assaulted in some form, from flashing to rape before their 16th birthday 37 per cent of young people (16-18) hear sexual name-calling towards them such as ‘slut’ or ‘slag’ at school.

Causes of violence Gender inequality Men and boys are less likely to respect women and girls if they are not encouraged to treat them as equals, with equal rights. Women and girls are less likely to realise that they are experiencing violence if they are used to being treated differently because they are female.

Causes of violence Part of the culture – accepted behaviour Silence – it’s a taboo subject Lack of awareness – of what violence is and that it’s against human rights Lack of support – inadequate services/understanding Sex sells – use of sexy images by businesses to sell products Poverty, conflict or emergencies – can force girls and young women into abusive situations Harmful practices – for family honour

How can we stop the violence? Change lives – build self esteem, protect girls and women and promote respect and empathy Change relationships – challenge discrimination, myths and stereotypes and build leadership skills Change communities – raise awareness, build partnerships and changing attitudes Change societies – promote the human rights of girls and women, challenge representations of women and girls.

More information and help The Voices Against Violence Leaders’ Handbook contains factsheets on each type of violence. The activity packs make clear which type of violence each activity focuses on. Don’t forget to ask for help from experts in your area eg Women’s Aid.